NCBS director calls for interdisciplinary research, institutional collaboration and long-term ecological monitoring

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

Director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research L.S. Shashidhara plants a sapling to mark World Environment Day, on Kuvempu University campus at Shankaraghatta near Shivamogga on Friday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

L.S. Shashidhara, Director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences–Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bengaluru, has called for stronger ecological monitoring, interdisciplinary research, and collaboration among universities and scientists to achieve effective biodiversity conservation.

Speaking at Kuvempu University’s Environment Day programme on Friday, Prof. Shashidhara emphasised that successful conservation extends beyond scientific understanding. Political commitment, knowledge sharing, and sustainable economic policies are equally essential, he said. He encouraged students and researchers to participate in long-term environmental monitoring to address emerging ecological challenges.

Ecosystems provide critical functions—climate regulation, maintenance of rainfall patterns, and crop pollination—that directly benefit society, Prof. Shashidhara explained. However, habitat fragmentation, industrialisation, and pollution pose serious threats to these systems. Protecting species requires maintaining genetic diversity, not merely increasing population numbers, he stressed. Conservation programmes for lions and tigers demonstrate the importance of genetic management for long-term species survival.

The lecture was organised by the Department of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Environmental Sciences at the Shankaraghatta campus near Shivamogga. Kuvempu University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sharath Ananthamurthy, Prof. R. Thimmarayappa, Registrar (Evaluation) Prof. K. Yogendra, Head of Department, and other faculty members attended. The university marked the occasion by planting saplings on campus.